A table saw is a power tool used to cut a workpiece to a desired size or shape. A table saw includes a work surface or table and a circular blade extending up through the table. A person uses a table saw by placing a piece of wood or other workpiece on the table and feeding it past the spinning blade to make a cut.
Table saws are typically constructed so that a user can adjust the elevation of the blade above the table in order to cut workpieces of varying thicknesses. When making a cut the blade is often raised just high enough to cut through the workpiece so the blade is exposed as little as possible in case of an accident. Often table saws include a handwheel that turns gears to raise and lower the blade. A user simply turns the handwheel clockwise, for example, to raise the blade, and counterclockwise to lower the blade. However, in small table saws such as jobsite and benchtop saws, handwheels typically must be turned many times to move the blade from a fully retracted position to a fully elevated position. For example, a handwheel might have to be turned approximately twenty, thirty or even forty revolutions to move the blade through its full range of elevation. This is a time consuming and inconvenient process.
This disclosure describes several elevation mechanisms, many of which enable a user to raise or lower the blade by turning the handle only one revolution or only a relatively small number of revolutions.